Shloka 25
Ahiṃsā as Threefold Restraint (Mind–Speech–Action) and the Ethics of Consumption
ततो<स्य कर्म पश्यन्ति शुभं वा यदि वाशुभम् | देवता: पञ्चभूतस्था: कि भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि
tato 'sya karma paśyanti śubhaṃ vā yadi vāśubham | devatāḥ pañcabhūtasthāḥ kiṃ bhūyaḥ śrotum icchasi |
Kemudian para dewa penguasa yang bersemayam dalam lima unsur besar memerhati perbuatannya—sama ada baik atau buruk. Apa lagi yang ingin engkau dengar?
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Moral causality is inescapable: good and bad actions are ‘seen’ and carried forward. A dharma-aligned life leads toward the highest end, and at rebirth the presiding powers within the embodied elements stand as witnesses to one’s śubha and aśubha karma.
Yudhiṣṭhira concludes a point about karmic accountability and rebirth: after a being has experienced the results of actions in the other world and takes a new body, the deities associated with the five elements in that body observe its past deeds; he then asks the listener what else they wish to hear.